India is a land of customs, traditions, and beliefs. We follow them anyway because it is in our blood. We often do hear a lot of stuff which really surprises us and we, not having appropriate reasons to negotiate, tend to go with the flow and believe them. Not only these, but there are also other superstitions regarding animals.
Today, I am going to elaborate about some beliefs which actually had reasons back then but now are of no use and thus it is time to break the stereotypes, and know the facts behind all these blind beliefs.
1. If cat crosses your way, then it’s inauspicious
Cats are little animals and what is to do with they pass our way? But we most of follow this because we are told to do so.
The reason behind this is, back then when our ancestors used to travel at night with their bullock carts or other animals. And at that time if cats or any animal belonging to cat family would cross their way, the bullocks or the animals would get scared seeing the shiny eyes of the cats, and thus they would halt for some time and then move forward so that the animal get relaxed. But now that we go on bikes and all we need not actually follow this unless you get scared.
Read also: The Myths And Superstitions About Birthmarks
2. Sweeping, cutting nails, shaving at night and bathing after a haircut
We usually hear this from our parents. It is merely that in olden days as they did not have electricity, people back then avoided cutting nails and shaving at night as it may harm them due to darkness.
Coming to bath after a haircut is just because the small hair on our body after a haircut may fall all over the home and can contaminate the food and water so it is better to take a shower after a haircut. Sweeping was avoided because in darkness they may lose anything valuable which they have thrown on the ground mistakenly.
3. Eating curd and sugar is auspicious
This is the favourite of all our beliefs. Whenever we go to any meaningful work, your mothers will surely give you a spoon of sweet curd which is a mixture of curd and sugar.
But the reason behind this is to keep our body cool. India being a tropical country, people ate curd to keep themselves fresh mixed with sugar as it has glucose.
Also read: Have You Ever Wondered Where Do Superstitions Come From?
4. Bathing after attending a funeral
This is a belief which all people irrespective of caste, religion follow. It’s believed that one must not enter the home after attending a funeral unless they bath else anything inappropriate can happen. We hear many reasons backed by some ghost stories and souls and all other stuff.
The simple reason behind this is people in ancient days, did not take vaccination for diseases and thus when anyone attends a funeral, the dead body there starts decomposing, and the people can get infections. So soon after they come from funeral, they take a shower to keep themselves uninfected
5. Menstruating women are impure
This topic even now is a taboo. People do not like to talk or listen about this. People think menstruating women should not go to the kitchen and temples and they are impure and these kinds of stuff.
The only reason women in olden days did not go to the kitchen, during this time is that their body becomes weak and life was not as easy as today. Thus women during this period were given complete rest and were not going to the kitchen and do not do any routine chores. Coming to women going to temples is based on one’s belief, but in olden days as they were no proper sanitation and women may stain their clothes, so they avoided going to public places like temples. But even today people believe all sorts of stuff. Menstruation is a natural biological process which every girl undergoes in her life, and there is no need to be ashamed of this fact.
6. Dogs
Coming to dogs, it is said that it can foresee death. Do you actually believe that? Well, I do not. How can an animal see death? It is said that if a dog weeps during dawn which is before the first prayer of the Muslims then surely any person nearer can die or any disaster or problem can come across.
7. Lizards
Well, lizards are the one which has been seen differently by different people of the society. Some people believe that if a lizard falls on them, then it is luck while others argue that it should not be there at home, thus kill it when they find any lizard at their home. Some people even believe that Djinn resides in lizards.
8. Crows
It is actually funny that people believe when they hear crows “caw”, that they will have relatives coming over to their home. It is weird yet the truth of our society.
9. Peacock’s feathers
This is believed that if a peacock feather is put on the wall, then there will be no lizards in the house which are actually false. You can try it if you do not believe me. And another belief is that if we put a peacock feather in a book, it will multiply.
10. Snakes
Snakes dance to the tune of the “sapera” or “charmer”. I would like to mention one fact about snakes is that they do not have ears. So snakes only mimic the action of the instrument and nothing else.
11. Sheep
According to Indians, if a bee comes nearer to u then just say “sheep-sheep”, and it will go away. Do you actually feel this will happen?? No, my friends, it won’t.
It is we, who must change and give our coming generations the correct information.
I spent a lot of time to find something like this